He ain't heavy
by MariaShadow
Summary: G1 The twins, alone and waiting.


He ain't heavy

"C'mon Sunny, we can make it if you'd move that skidplate of yours a gear above dead stop."  
"You try, ouch, walking with a hole in your leg!"  
"I did, last week."  
"Phfft, yeah right, like that little scratch was worth all that moaning and groaning about."  
"Hey! I'll have you know that Ratchet said that if had been a centimetre deeper he'd have had to build me a new leg."  
"And…?"

The banter echoed across the vast wasteland as two tall figures, each supporting the other, trudged across the sun baked plateau. Ahead, several plumes of dark smoke marked out where the latest battle between the Autobots and Decepticons was being played out.

"Eh, too bad we can't drive over there." Sunstreaker muttered as he paused, keeping his weight off his right leg. "And with both our radios fried we can't call for a ride either."

"Yeah well, I'm not even thinking about the lecture Ratch' is gonna hit us with when we get back." Sideswipe unslung his arm from around his twin and stood with his hands on his hips, with his face set in a furious expression that both mechs had come to know very well over the years. "And who's" Sideswipe began in a very good imitation of Ratchet's voice, "slaggin' idea was it to Jet-Judo across the entire slaggin' plateau!"

The twins cracked up laughing, but it quickly disintegrated as Sideswipe doubled over in a coughing fit. "Eugh, that was less than pleasant." The red lambo wheezed as he spat out a wad of energon. Sunstreaker put one reassuring hand on his brother's back and waited as Sideswipe got his breath back. "We've got to get you back home Siders, before that gets any worse." Sunstreaker let a worried frown crease his perfect face as his twin wrapped an arm around his shoulders for support.

"Well that hole in you ain't doing much good." Sideswipe jerked his thumb back at the trail of energon, coolant and other fluids that was caking the sand into little black clumps.

They re-started their slow trek. "Y'know, I think our Jet-Judo needs some more work." Sideswipe commented.  
"No duh." Sunstreaker's retort lacked some of it's usual venom. "Who would we practice on? Powerglide's a minibot, and I don't think Skyfire…"

"Sunny? Sunny!" Sideswipe panicked as Sunstreaker stumbled and sagged in his arms as his knees gave way. The red warrior quickly dragged his twin into the shade of a rocky outcropping and propped him up against the stone. "C'mon bro, wake up." Sideswipe pleaded as he gave his brother a hard shake.

"Ssorry, bout that." Sunstreaker slurred as he slowly roused himself. "Guess I lost more 'ngon than I though."  
"Don't worry about it bro." Sideswipe replied, open relief on his face. He sat down next to his brother and pulled a couple of items out of subspace.  
"Whatcha doin'?" Sunstreaker mumbled as he realised Sideswipe was up to something.  
"Saving your sorry hide." Was the reply. "You don't have much energon left, so I'm hooking you up to my supply."  
"Don't." Sunstreaker protested, but Sideswipe ignored him.

"I'm no Ratchet, but this ought to keep you going until they can find us." Sideswipe announced as he made the final connection. The energy drain was almost immediate, but Sideswipe refused to let brother know.

The hot sun slid below the horizon, but with no sign of rescue at hand. Both brothers dipped in and out of consciousness as their systems fought to stay online.

"Nn, never, thought it would be like this." Sunstreaker muttered. "Always thought, it'd be in a battle or somethin'."  
"Or in th' repair bay after Ratchet's had enough of us." Sideswipe quipped, triggering a weak laugh from Sunstreaker. "Hey Sunny."  
"Yeah bro?"  
"I love ya Sunny.  
"Same here Siders."

"Well?" Prowl asked softly as Ratchet emerged from the repair bay, wiping his hands on an old rag.  
"They'll live." Was the short reply. "But they'll be getting an audio full from me the moment they come back on line." Ratchet shot a dark look at the repair bay doors. "Who found them anyway?"  
"Hound and Spike. They went out looking for them when Skywarp and Thundercracker came back, but they didn't."

"All I can say is that those are two lucky Autobots." Ratchet shook his head slightly. "Sunstreaker would have died within hours if Sideswipe hadn't plugged him into his energon line. And if Sideswipe hadn't plugged him into his systems, Sideswipe would have flooded his core with the seepage from the crack in his fuel pump. Sharing kept Sideswipe's energon levels low enough to survive, and Sunstreaker's high enough. Sideswipe probably didn't even realise he was saving his own life as he saved his brother's."  
"In my experience," Prowl replied, "Brothers seldom do."


End file.
